Following the response from Kirsty Williams regarding the documented guidance for supporting pupils with Additional Learning Needs and/or Disabilities during COVID-19 lockdown we conducted a Wales-wide survey regarding any contact they received from their LEA and/or school regarding hub childcare provision for their statemented child.
We received a total of 189 responses from most counties across Wales (with zero responses from Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham). The results have been analysed and we have produced a report of its findings. You can read the report in full below.
Key finding are:
76.2% of all respondents had no contact from their school and/or LEA to determine whether or not their statemented child required a hub placement
Of the 189 responses, only 27 were in the shielding category, therefore this was not a reason for non-contact
Children who attend specialist settings or a specialist base within a mainstream school made up 49% of the responses, but 66% of those contacted regarding hub provision
We accept that some schools may have conducted in-house reviews of children, however the guidance states that parent/carers should be involved in the process, and lockdown with schooling at home is a vastly different environment to typical schooling. Therefore, in-house reasoning may not have been accurate.
Our findings have been sent to Kirsty Williams. Should you wish to comment on this matter, or if you would like your views to be raised in our meetings with Welsh Government, please email press@autisticuk.org.
As part of our online focus group sessions, we will be holding discussions around education. If you’d like to join the mailing list to be notified of these sessions, please use this form.
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